![]() Josh Pollard of the University of Southampton. To extract the rocks at the quarry, “hey only had to insert wooden wedges into the cracks between the pillars and then let the Welsh rain do the rest by swelling the wood to ease each pillar off the rock face,” says Dr.How did ancient miners quarry and transport the bluestones?.Take a look at the second bookmark on today’s MapMaker Interactive map to see one of archaeology’s best guesses about how the bluestones got from Wales to Stonehenge. Archaeology: “Archaeologists have uncovered stone tools, dirt ramps and platforms, burnt charcoal and chestnuts, and an ancient sunken road that was likely the exit route from the quarry.”.Geologists have shown that this region of Wales is the only part of the British Isles that contains a particular type of rock-spotted dolerite-common in the bluestones.” Geology: “The are volcanic and igneous rocks with precise geological signatures that match the inner horseshoe of smaller rocks at Stonehenge.Cooperation! According to the Council for British Archaeology, “ Geologists have known since the 1920s that the bluestones were brought to Stonehenge from somewhere in the Preseli Hills, but only now has there been collaboration with archaeologists to locate and excavate the actual quarries from which they came.”.How did scientists determine that Stonehenge’s bluestones came from Welsh quarries at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park?.Use today’s MapMaker Interactive map to see how Stonehenge’s bluestones went from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales, to Salisbury Plain, England. Take a look at this map from the good folks at British Archaeology for a terrific (literal) overview of the rocks at Stonehenge. The other major type of rock used at Stonehenge are the giant sandstone sarsens. ![]() Learn more about spotted dolerite, a type of basalt, here.The most common bluestone at Stonehenge is spotted dolerite. For this reason, bluestones are also called “foreign” or “imported” stones. At Stonehenge, “bluestone” is a generic term for all rocks that had to be transported to the site.Illustration by Adamsan, courtesy Wikimedia. This lovely diagram of Stonehenge shows the central circular bluestone configuration in blue. Bluestones are often used as building materials, and generally have a slate-blue tint. “Bluestone” is a generic term for many types of rocks, including igneous (basalt), sedimentary (limestone and sandstone), and metamorphic (slate).The new archaeological discovery at Stonehenge concerns the origins of the monument’s bluestones.Photograph by Kenneth Geiger, National Geographic The large sandstone sarsens dominate this gorgeous image of Stonehenge at sunset. Teachers, scroll down for a short list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit, including today’s quick quiz and MapMaker Interactive map. Use our resources to learn more about stone quarries, or test yourself on your knowledge of Stonehenge with today’s 5-question Quick Quiz. New findings have shed light on how some of Stonehenge’s monoliths were extracted and transported.
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